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“Something to be proud of”

For many of us, the responsibility of trying to support a charity simply means putting 20p into the box next to the till at the coffee shop or simply buying Fairtrade goods at the local supermarket. We all try to help any way we can, however, there are a small selection of volunteers in the world who will never stop caring for those who need support. At the Hillingdon Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS), we try to help honour those who never stop and think of the outstanding and life-changing work they do to comfort communities and individuals.

At Hillingdon, West London, we are trying to honour those whose work may go unrewarded or unnoticed and to celebrate the changes they bring. During Volunteers Week in UK, 1st-7th June 2011, HAVS launched the Hillingdon Volunteer Achievement Awards, encouraging those to nominate any volunteers they think deserve to be appreciated with an award. While the nominations go ahead, the dedicated team of HAVS try to put every ounce of their efforts into raising the scarce funds, organising the publicity and standing out in the English rain to encourage members of the community to participate in the volunteer service and what it does for them in turn.

Due to funding, the voluntary service has suffered massive cutbacks in light of the UK recession and the award ceremonies are no exception. Weight up options are difficult when you must take so much into account. If we are to the honour these volunteers respectfully, we must provide them with an awards ceremony to fit.

In order to advance the awareness of these awards and the volunteer sector in the UK, any support or featured links will be very appreciated. Community is something to cherish and something for us all to be proud in.